Scrabulous: Board Game Piracy

The recording, publishing, and motion picture industries aren't the only ones worried about piracy lately. Now even board games companies like Hasbro and Mattel are fending off infringement.

I, and apparently thousands of other Faceboook users, have been hooked on Scrabulous, an online version of Hasbro's Scrabble. Initially, I wondered what sort of deal, if any, the makers of Scrabulous may have with Scrabble. The slight (and brilliant) differentiation in names signaled an unreconciled trademark issue at minimum. Sunday's New York Times confirmed that Hasbro and Mattel are currently threatening legal action against the developers of Scrabulous on the grounds of piracy.

Clearly, Hasbro and Mattel simply want their fair share of the hefty ad revenues Scrabulous has been enjoying. But if the companies don't come to an agreement soon, heavy users like me will have to face withdrawal when the Facebook application gets shut down. But then what? Just as Napster was the music industry's slippery slope into the vast world of illegal music downloads, Scrabulous' popularity doesn't bode well for the board game industry... or does it?

Scrabulous has brought Scrabble back in style, exposing it to a new generation of users who may never have been interested in the game had it not been leaked onto the internet. I would be interested to see what effect, positive or negative, the Scrabulous phenomenon has had on sales of the game's physical format. I wouldn't be surprised to see a slight spike, even. But the long-term implications are as as uncertain as their music industry equivalents. Too bad the Board Game Industry doesn't have its own RIAA. ...yet.

Luda: Possible Cabinet Member?

Thanks, Mary Claire. 

Again, Musicians Love Obama

...according to NME.

Use of Music in Polititcs

NME has an article detailing some of the campaign song selections currently favored by Democratic front-runners Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Campaign songs have been important political accessories since Bill Clinton famously used Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop" as the theme for his 1992 campaign.

Obama, like his fellow Dems, tends toward Boomer-friendly campaign themes, as opposed to his Republican counterparts, who are inclined to play country-western anthems. While the Obama campaign displays a more moderate music selection during high-profile events, his website caters to those with more liberal musical tastes, offering visitors a free ringtone by rapper and Obama supporter, Jin. CNN discusses how Obama has emerged as the favorite within the urban music community.

It is unclear as to what sort of monetary compensation might be in place for the use of such songs, or if publishers and artists offer them to candidates as "campaign contributions."

Recording Industry Woes

The latest issue of the Economist has an article discussing the current (woeful) state of the Recording Industry. Sales of physical formats are down, of course, but even digital sales are not seeing the growth that record labels crave.

The Economist article discusses a couple strategies currently in use by record labels, such as digital deals for the development of "Comes With Music" devices. Labels also seem to be employing "360-degree" deals, in which the companies can share in the artists' earnings in other areas of music consumption, such as touring and merchandising.

Both strategies suggest a new focus on the roles of non-label businesses in creating vehicles for music delivery. The implications of this are manifold. Perhaps record labels would benefit from becoming subgroups and subsidiaries of digital technologies companies. Perhaps digital companies should invest money in creating their own labels, following in the rumored footsteps of Apple. Perhaps labels will become a subgroup of the touring and merchandising industry, thereby flipping the current structure.

We've all heard the doomsday reports for years now: physical formats may face extinction in the near future. But the question of whether the music industry will survive the digital age is irrelevant; consumption of music products is going nowhere. The real question is: how will the music industry change in delivering these products to consumers? What will the new face of the music industry look like?

The E. I.

The E. I. focuses on current events and issues related to the Entertainment Industry. If you're looking for a tabloid blog, feel free to visit PerezHilton.com, Dlisted.com, and other favored blogs of the sort. The E. I. is a forum for Entertainment Industry professionals and those interested in the business, economics, and future of the Industry.